Canadian ISPs And Hollywood Agree On Plan To Make Themselves Judge, Jury and Website Executioner

New York City Hotels Say Obnoxious $25 'Destination Fee' 'Improves The Customer Experience'

from the that'll-work dept

Thu, Dec 7th 2017 12:11pm — Karl Bode

Taking a page from the telecom and banking sector playbooks, New York City hotels have decided to add a $25 "destination fee" just for the honor of being able to sleep somewhere near the audio visual cacophony that is Times Square. Major hotel chains like Hilton, Marriott and Starwood are all adding the new destination fees, which aren't part of the advertised rate -- and are only added to the final tally at checkout. Said fees mirror other "resort fees" used to jack up advertised rates in other destination locations like Hawaii, the Florida coast, or Las Vegas.

In many instances, the fee is being called an "urban destination charge," and is being applied each day of a customer's stay:

"But this week, a guest booking a room at the Hilton New York was alerted as he finalised payment that a “Daily Mandatory Charge” of $25 would be added to the room rate, covering an “Urban Destination Charge”, “premium” internet access, local and freephone calls, and a total of $25 credit for food and drink in the hotel.

The credit, it turned out, is a one-off figure – though the Urban Destination Charge is due every day of the stay."

If you've paid attention to the problems in the telecom sector, you've probably realized that this is now standard industry procedure. Cable and phone companies alike often make up entirely nonsensical fees (with names like the Internet Cost Recovery fee or Broadcast TV fee) with the express goal of advertising one price, then charging another. To add insult to injury, they'll then crow about how their advertised rate has remained the same from year to year. That's been an obvious case of false advertising for going on a decade, yet legal or regulatory accountability for the misleading charges remains elusive at best.

In telecom, the FCC had made a little noise about cracking down on the misleading surcharges in the form of a "nutrition label" for broadband that would clearly disclose any caveats, but that effort appears to have stalled. In the hotel industry where competition makes such action less pressing, the FTC gave hotels a fairly tepid warning about the practice in 2012, stating that the practice of hidden fees "may be deceptive" and "may violate the law." Hints that a new FTC crackdown on the practice was coming similarly emerged last year, only to apparently disappear back into the swamp of regulatory intent and good intentions.

Just like in the telecom industry, when hotels are asked whether jacking up the advertised rate post sale could be construed as predatory and obnoxious, they'll usually trot out some rubbish about how the practice enhances the "customer experience." Take this bit of prattle from Starwood owners Marriott International, for example:

"The Destination Fee was created as a way to lift the guest experience by providing added value to a hotel stay. Each hotel may offer a combination of hotel services (such as dry-cleaning, pressing or a food & beverage credit); local experience vouchers for free/discounted events and attractions (such as city tours), and/or access to fitness programs (such as yoga or cycling) in nearby studios..."The implementation of the Destination Fee gives us the opportunity to test how a bundle of benefits that our research shows are valuable to guests might enhance the stay."

Of course that's bullshit, since not knowing what the hell you'll actually be paying for your room kind of puts a damper on the entertainment value of the whole affair, and users are usually docked these fees regardless of whether they use amenities or not. The goal again is to falsely advertise a lower rate, full stop. That may be a problem for competitors foolish enough to clearly advertise their real rates, since they superficially could appear to be a worse value. On the flip side, hitting your visitors with obnoxious, hidden fees is a wonderful way to help drive business to the share economy competitors these companies have been whining about for the better part of a decade.

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Filed Under: destination fee, fees, ftc, hotels, nyc, sneaky fees, times square

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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:19pm

"New York City Hotels Say Obnoxious $25 'Destination Fee' 'Improves The Customer Experience'"

Probably about the same as a $25 "fuck you" fee would as well.
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Chris ODonnell (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:19pm

When I moved last month we cut the cord and bought Internet only FIOS at the new place. I was shocked that the $39.99 advertised price on the web site resulted in a $39.99 charge to my credit card.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:21pm

Resort fees...
As I've been traveling back and forth to Las Vegas often over the last 6 years, I deal with these "Resort Fees" all the time.

They're ridiculous.

Someone visiting for the first time is in for a fun surprise if they booked their hotel online thinking that it's paid for - you're likely to pay an additional $25-50/night depending on where you stay after you arrive.

I've been told by multiple hotel staff that it covers the services that they provide: Free airport shuttle, free internet connectivity, fitness center, pool access, etc. However, if you tell them you plan to use NONE of those services, they'll still insist that the fee is mandatory. They just use these service offerings as an excuse to rape most people post-sale.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:24pm

That's like a website claiming "this popup with autoplay video improves the customer experience."
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:24pm

Re:
Actually, in NYC, the "fuck you" fee (so to speak) is in the hundreds of $$$.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:31pm

the FTC had no jurisdiction because hotels are a common carrier /s
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JoeCool (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:34pm

Where it's headed
This is clearly the next tax on gasoline.
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Madd the Sane (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:35pm

Common Carrier
Don't be surprised if they actually attempt to do this.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:39pm

Re: Resort fees...
>Free airport shuttle, free internet connectivity

Pay for free stuff!
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Groaker (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:42pm

Great marketing technique. Make the customer feel cheated just as they are walking out the door.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 12:55pm

Re: Re: Resort fees...
well isn't that what free means?
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Not EA, 7 Dec 2017 @ 1:05pm

The intent is to provide customer with a sense of pride and accomplishment for staying at our hotel.
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Roger Strong (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 1:12pm

Re:
Wait for it.

Here in Canada a cable/phone/ISP company's advertised price on the web site is the "introductory price." It'll go up after x months.
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David, 7 Dec 2017 @ 1:18pm

Re: Re: Re: Resort fees...
"In the land of the free, and the home of the brave." And it turned out that the slaves were not free, and inhabitants shat their pants whenever anybody dared so much as to cough.
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Roger Strong (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 1:21pm

It's as though Electronic Arts released SimHotel.

Granted they'd be screwing over their real customers, not the simulated ones.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 1:37pm

Re: Re: Re: Resort fees...
That's what I thought anyway. I love going to Carl's Jr and paying them $10 for a free lunch!
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madasahatter (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 1:56pm

Alienating customers
Alienating customers is not a viable long term strategy. When I travel, I like the hotel fees to all inclusive when booking with the only line items added to be something I asked for while there. Like most I am budgeting my travel costs and want to know an accurate rate.

I will stay at properties that do not find new 'fees' that are added on to the room rate.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 2:19pm

Re: Caveat Emptor
Yup, most consumers are price sensitive and notice the bottom line on hotel bills -- hotels with deceptive practices eventually lose customers

Deceptive pricing is common in retailing. Who protects you from supermarket/food deceptions (e.g., less content in the cereal box, at a higher price)?

This buyer/seller game has only been going on for thousands of years. Caveat Emptor
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JoeCool (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 2:42pm

Re: Re:
It's usually the same here in the US. If you read the fine print, it's something like the first three months, or sometimes a full year IF you also commit to five years of service. After the introductory period, it usually triples.
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JoeCool (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 2:53pm

Re: Re: Re: Resort fees...
Most of the time, when you see "free" they actually mean "at no additional charge". They're not the same thing, but they're allowed to get away with it.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 3:15pm

Re: Resort fees...
The problem is that in vacation destinations like Las Vegas, virtually every hotel in town engages in the practice of having hidden fees of some sort. The few honest places that don't play these price shenanigans are at a competitive disadvantage, and eventually turn to the dark side if they want to stay in business.
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Dave Cortright (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 3:35pm

What are you gonna do…?
go to AirBnB instead?

Oh wait, you are. Shit. Come back please! We'll give you reward points (whatever those are good for) and a mint on your pillow!
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R2_v2.0 (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 5:06pm

Where's the FTC on this?
This is false advertising and the FTC should be calling them on it.

One of the better things our FTC equivalent has done in Australia is clamp down on this type of drip feed pricing.

It's noteworthy that the human sock puppet running the FCC for you guys has decided that it's too hard for poor little ISPs to work out how much they're going to charge you so you'll need to work that out yourselves.
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PartTimeZombie (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 5:25pm

Re: Resort fees...
The only time I was charged one of these fees my credit card company seemed quite happy to have it removed when I complained to them.
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Anonymous Coward, 7 Dec 2017 @ 6:17pm

Re: Re: Caveat Emptor

hotels with deceptive practices eventually lose customers.

Most are one-timers anyways. Besides, where are they going to go? To different hotel doing the same thing?
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jupiterkansas (profile), 7 Dec 2017 @ 9:07pm

Re:
I have Google Fiber. $70/month flat as advertised. No fees or taxes or nothing. It's great.
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Fargleflopper the Unhinged, 8 Dec 2017 @ 3:17am

Re: Re: Caveat Emptor
Except in the cases where all hotels in the area agree to do the same.

Which is price fixing.
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Fargleflopper the Unhinged, 8 Dec 2017 @ 3:21am

Breach of contract
If a customer has booked online, probably through a third party, and these additional charges haven't been listed (either properly or in small print), aren't the hotels in breach of contract? Surely it's illegal to insist on changing the terms of contract once the other party is committed (due to them actually arriving at the hotel)?
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2017 @ 5:47am

Re: Re:

Here in Canada a cable/phone/ISP company's advertised price on the web site is the "introductory price." It'll go up after x months.

I've found the third-party providers better about this (but some do the same). Still, I've never seen anyone actually charge the advertised amount. They'll bill tax on top of that, which is the common scam in North America. (Elsewhere, that would be false advertising: they'd have to include taxes in the advertised price, because it's not like they're a surprise.)
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Wendy Cockcroft, 8 Dec 2017 @ 7:18am

Re: Re:
Kiss your tourist industry goodbye, America. Or watch Air B&B go from strength to strength. My hubby and I had a reasonable experience with it last time we used it. We had the house to ourselves, the price was reasonable and we could walk to the city centre.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2017 @ 7:30am

Resort fees are declared before booking if you choose to read the information, but it doesn't show up on searches.

Problem is, it doesn't pass the moron in a hurry test, because people probably don't read the fine print.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2017 @ 8:57am

Re: Re: Re: Re: Resort fees...
Land of the fee and home of the slave
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2017 @ 8:59am

Re:
Wait ... why do they need CC info if you are not doing auto-pay, or is that the only option for payment?
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2017 @ 9:31am

Re: Re: Caveat Emptor

Who protects you from supermarket/food deceptions (e.g., less content in the cereal box, at a higher price)?

Traditionally, places like the UK and EU have required products to be sold in specified quantities, but "deregulation" has been popular as of late...
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Dec 2017 @ 9:32am

Re: Where's the FTC on this?
As the article says, the FTC is aware of it but has only given "tepid warnings".
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Anon, 8 Dec 2017 @ 11:30am

Re: Where's the FTC on this?
Exactly. An added "fuel surcharge" at the discretion of the airline is simply a higher ticket price in two pieces. Similarly a "destination fee" is simply a higher hotel room price, with deceptive advertising if not mentioned.

There's a case for not advertising taxes, customs fees, or other "out of our control" prices; or if it's discretionary - "carry on your small luggage and don't pay". But if a company is solely in control of setting the price and they can change it, it's part of the price and should be advertised as inclusive of that.
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hegemon13, 11 Dec 2017 @ 12:23pm

Re: Re: Caveat Emptor
Who's to protect me? Third-grade math. Price/oz = price per ounce. And since the weight must be clearly labeled, it's available to anyone with the willingness to pay attention. It's not hard at all to determine how much you're actually paying for food. (Hint: often the giant "value size" is actually more expensive per ounce.) You just have to be willing to pay attention, and all the information you need is right there prior to purchase.

With this kind of garbage, we're talking about non-advertised charges that the buyer doesn't know about until after the purchase (or added sneakily during the checkout process). It would be like finding an extra 20% "flavor enjoyment charge" on your grocery receipt.
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John85851 (profile), 11 Dec 2017 @ 4:04pm

Some better hotels will remove the resort fee
Recently, my wife and I took a weekend vacation to a Marriott near Disney World. They wanted to charge a $25 "resort fee" to cover things like "free" shuttle service to the theme parks and internet access.
We told them that we have our own car and annual passes, so we don't need the shuttle service.
And like most people, we have our own cell phones, so we don't need the internet service.

So they took the resort fee off our bill.

However, if all the hotels in New York or Times Square charge the same fee, then it might be hard to convince them to remove it.
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G, 11 Jul 2018 @ 5:10pm

I am offended by the destination fee. Esp3cially when I am advised that it gets me free services (e.g. internet access) that I already have by virtue of the status I hold in the hotel’s loyalty program. Rather than vent your displeasure on a website, do what I did. Write the hotel’s CEO. This nonsense won’t stop until enough loyal customer convince these guys that there is competition out there that is more reasonable!
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fgay, 13 Aug 2019 @ 5:28am

I would be very pleased if such a bonus was offered by one from these hotels http://interiorglory8.com/2019/04/25/top-10-mesmerizing-us-casino-interiors/
That would be beautiful
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